Indicia means for accordions



Sept. 2, 1958 R. STRoLoGo 2,849,818'

INDI'czA MEANS FoR AccoRDzoNs 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FiledV Aug. 2, 1955 Sept.2, 1958 R. sTRoLoGo 2,849,818-

INDICIA MEANS FOR ACCORDIONS `Filed Aug. 2, 1955 n 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fig.2;

.l nite tate s creams. (ci. tte-.rein

ACCRDINS lill., a corporation The invention relates generally toaccordions and more particularly to means for applying indicia thereto.

The general object of the invention is to provide a novel means forattaching indicia to an accordion, the indicia, for example, beinglettering.

Another object is to provide an accordion having a novel grillconstruction arranged to receive a series of plaques carrying indiciasuch as letters so that the owner of the instrument may readily placehis name or other indicia on the instrument.

Still another object is to provide a novel grill constraction of theforegoing character, in which the plaques detachably mounted on thegrill so that the indicia be changed when desired.

@ther objects and advantages will become apparent from the followingdescription taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, inwhich:

Fig. l is a perspective view of an accordion provided with indicia meansembodying the features of the invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary view of one end of the accordion;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken on thel line 4 4 of Fig. 5 means;

Fig. 6 is a perspective view showing the manner in which the indiciameans may be removed from the accordion;

Fig. 7 is a sectional view taken on the line 7-7 of Fig. 6; and

Fig. 8 is a sectional view similar to Fig. 7 but showing the indiciameans as it is being applied to the accordion.

An accordion is usually provided with artistic decora tion on itsexterior, including a name plate or insignia of the manufacturer or theinstrument. An owner of such instrument tzfeuld also like to apply hisname to the instrument in a decorative manner but heretofore there hasbeen no convenient way to do so except in a make-shift manner bypermanently applying an additional name plate. This involves substantialexpense and in many instancesvthe additional name plate would notconform to the decoration on the instrument.

The present invention provides a means for applying indicia to anaccordion, which indicia maybe in the form a series of letters spellingthe oir/'ners name. Of course, designs or indicia other than letters mayhe placed thereon. The letters or other indicia are provided on plaqueswhich il.. detachabby connected to a portion of the accor'- dion so thatthey ni be readily changed if it is desired to change the indicia. Inthe case where the plaques carry letters to spell a name, the plaquesare of uniform size and the dealer then can carry a supply of plaqueshaving al1 the required letters so that any name may be applied to theinstrument.

is a perspective view of one of the indicia Patented ept. 2, 1958 In thepreferred embodiment of the invention, a decorative grill structure isprovided on one end of the instrument and forms a plurality of openareas into which the plaques may be inserted. The grill structure incertain portions thereof is provided with notches 1ocated inwardly fromthe outer face of the grill, and the plaques are provided with inwardlyextending clip means engageable in such notches. The clip means areresilient so that as the plaque is pushed into place, the clip meanswill snap into engagement with lthe notches. To remove the plaques, asmall tool in the nature of a screwdriver is provided to pry upwardly onthe plaques thereby bending them and eecting release of the clip meansfrom the notches.

In Fig. l of the drawings I have shown an accordion having at one end apiano type keyboard indicated generally at l@ for manipulation by theright hand of the player. Adjacent the keyboard l@ is an end wall l1, inthis instance, provided with a plate l2 which for decorative purposeshas longitudinal corrugaticns 13. In the valleys between thecorrugations are a series of small holes le to permit sound to emergefrom the interior of the accordion.

To provide further decoration, a grill, indicated generally at l5, ismounted on the end wall Il. The grill 15 overlies a portion of thecorrugated plate 12 and comprises a plurality of intersecting barsforming rows of open areas I6. The grill l5 may embrace the usual switchkeys 17 (see Fig. l) along one side of the grill, and at the oppositeside of the grill a plate Ztl carrying the makers insignia and a nameplate 21 for the manufacturers name may be permanently secured. Themajor portion of the grill comprises the rows of open areas I6. In thepresent instance, the grill l5 is made of plastic material and comprisesintersecting `bars which are of inverted V-shape in cross section, thusproviding two sides ZZ; for each bar. With the bars formed in thismanner, the oper. lareas )i6 are provided with tapering sides. ln thepresent instance, the bars extending longitudinally adjacent thekeyboard l0 are thicker than the bars at the opposite side of the grill,and the transverse bars intersecting these longitudinal bars arecorrespondingly tapered in thickness as illustrated in Fig. 4. Thus, theopen areas ladjacent the keyboard lil are deeper than those at theopposite side of the grill and each area correspondingly varies in depthtransversely of the grill.

To provide for the application of lettering or other indicia to thegrill, as for example applying the owners name thereto, at least one ofthe longitudinally extending rows of open areas is adapted to receivesmall plaques carrying the desired letters or other indicia. In thepresent instance, the grill l5 is shown in Fig. l as having velongitudinally extending rows of open areas, and the center row isarranged to receive such plaques. While the intersecting bars formingthe grill may be placed `at any desired angle relative to each other, inthe present instance the grill comprises rows of rectangular areasformed by longitudinally and transversely extend ing bars at rightangles to each other. Preferably the plaques are so dimensioned as towithin these areas and consequently the plaques tare given acorresponding rectangular shape.

As shown in the drawings, each plaque is indicated generally at 23 andcomprises a substantially flat plate rlhe plaque or plate member isadapted to tit within an open area and to be seated against the taperingsides thereof. Formed or mounted on the upper or outer face of the platemember 24 is indicia such as a letter N' Preferably the plate member 24is depressed within open and the letter 25 is of raised form, so thatthe top surface of the letter is flush with the top surface of the grill15 as illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4,

Because of the tapering sides of the open areas, the plaques or platemembers 24 have beveled edges so that they will seat rmly against thetapering sides of the open areas.

To hold the plaques in place, the transverse bars of the grill structurein the longitudinally extending row in which the lettering is to beplaced, are provided with notches spaced inwardly from the outer surfaceof the grill, to receive clip means provided on the plaques. ln thepresent instance, the two sides 22 of the transverse bars are providedwith notches 26 at their inner edges to receive the clip means formed onthe plaques. To cooperate with the notches 26, the clip means comprisesa pair of arms 27 extending inwardly from the inner face of the plaqueor plate member 24. Because of the tapering sides of the open areas, thearms 27 are spaced from the ends of the plaque. At their lower or innerends, the arms 27 are provided with outwardly or laterally extendingledges 30 which are adapted to engage in the notches 26 when the plaqueor plate member 24 is forced into position in its associated area in thegrill. Because of the variation in depth transversely of each area, theledges are at a slight angle to the plane of the plate member, asillustrated in Fig. 4, so that the letter carried by the plaque will belevel with the top surface of the grill.

The plaques or plate members 24- together with the lettering or otherindicia thereon are preferably made of plastic material which isresilient to some extent, and the arms 27 are formed integrally with theplaque or plate member 24. Thus, when a plaque is placed iu one of theopen areas and pushed downwardly therein, the tapering sides of the openareas engage the ledges 30 and cause the arms 27 to flex inwardly, asillustrated in Fig. 8. When the plaque is fully seated in the open area,the ledges will have cleared the upper edge of the notch and the armswill then swing the ledges outwardly for engagement in the notches 26 tormly hold the plaque in place against the tapering sides of the openarea.

With this construction, the owner of the instrument may select theplaques carrying the letters spelling his name and insert them in a rowin the open areas in thc grill 15. This may be done by merely pressingthe plaques downwardly in these areas until the ledges 30 snap into thegrooves 26 in the inner edges of the cross bars of the grill structure.The plaques are thus firmly held in place so that the name of the ownerappears on a prominent part of the instrument.

Another feature of the invention lies in the fact that the plaques arereadily removable so that different letters may be placed on theinstrument to spell a different name in case the ownership of theinstrument is changed. To remove the plaques, a special to-ol having ablade in the nature of a screwdriver blade is provided. Thus, as shownin Figs. 6 and 7, a tool is provided, having a shank 31 which at its endis tlattened to provide a blade portion 32. The blade portion 32 isinserted between a longitudinal edge of the plaque to be removed and theadjacent bar of the grill structure. The grill structure, being made ofa resilient plastic material is sutiiciently bendable to permit theinsertion of the blade 32. After such insertion, the tool is tiltedsidewardly to etlect a prying action on the beveled side edge of theplaque or plate member 24, thus tending to lift the plate member orplaque. With the tool placed intermediate the d end of the plaque andthe ends thereof being held by the ledges 30, the plaque will bowupwardly as illustrated in Fig. 7, thus causing the arms 27 to swinginwardly until the ledges 30 are disengaged from the notches 26. Theplaque may then be lifted out of the grill structure by continued pryingaction on the tool. When the plaque is removed in this manner, no damageoccurs to it so that it may be used again. However, it may be replacedor plaques carrying other letters may be substituted.

l claim:

1. In an accordion having an end wall, a decorative grill mounted onsaid end wall and comprising a plurality of intersecting bars forming aplurality of open areas therebetween, said bars having an inverted Vform in cross section, each area thus having tapering sides, oppositebars forming certain of said areas having notches in the inner edges ofthe sides of the V, and a plurality of plaques shaped to fit in saidareas with the side edges of the plaques engaging the tapering sides ofthe areas, each plaque having a pair of arms spaced from opposite edgesof the plaque and extending inwardly and provided with laterallyprojecting ledges at their inner ends engageable in said notches to holdthe plaque in engagement with the tapering sides of the area.

2. In an accordion having an end wall, a decorative grill mounted onsaid end wall and comprising a plurality of intersecting bars forming aplurality of open areas therebetween, said bars having an inverted Vform in cross section, each area thus having tapering sides, oppositebars forming certain of said areas having notches in the inner edges ofthe sides of the V, and a plurality of plaques shaped to lit in saidareas with the side edges of the plaques engaging the tapering sides ofthe areas, each plaque having a pair of arms extending inwardly andhaving ledges on their inner ends engageable in said notches to hold theplaque in place, and each plaque being resiliently bendable whereby theplaque will bow longitudinally when pried upwardly intermediate its endsto swing the ledges out of the notches for releasing the plaque.

3. In an accordion having an end wall, a decorative grill mounted onsaid end Wall and comprising a p1urality of intersecting bars forming aplurality of` openl References Cited in the file of this patent UNITEDSTATES PATENTS 732,245 Weiss June 30, 1903 1,662,704 Herrschaft Mar. 13,1928 2,005,659 Matteson June 1S, 1935 2,159,254 Christ May 23, 19392,531,911 Johnson Nov. 28, 1950 2,533,799 1950 Haydn Dec. 12,

